Unfortunately I failed to achieve what I wanted to do on this walk but using the experience that I gained I feel come the spring / summer I will return to this walk and hopefully complete it.

The plane was to leave the campsite at Duftonpick up the Pennine way walk to the top of high cup nick , have a mooch around the top area and then head back down.

I failed, several reasons, but mostly due to bad planning and really bad weather.

It had been raining solid for 36 hours; I mean really throwing it down, the campsite was like a swimming pool, we even had a puddle inside our awning. I suppose that I should have put this walk off, but it was our last chance as we where packing up and “sailing” back home the next day.

Anyway it stopped raining and we decided to go for it.

A few photos:-

First photo taken on the Pennine Way heading up a very wet track towards Peeping Hill. (You can see the cloud level is very low)

Our first glimpse of the entrance (if that’s the right word) It was hat this point that I made another mistake , I was told by a local that if I left the Pennine way at this point there was a grass track that run along high cup about half way up and made its way back to the top of the nick further along .

Not really sure what this is, there used to be a Quarry here so it might be some remains of that or an old lime kiln.

Heading towards a section know as Low Pots, we could just about see the other side of high cup gill at this point

Looking across the other side at Middle tongue Crag

My better half striding off into the clouds heading towards High pots

A break in the cloud and the views start to open up

Looking ahead, what the photos don’t show is the size of the place

Another shot looking towards the nick

Looking up towards the top where the Pennine way runs , we didn’t know it at this point but the water rushing down completely washed the path we where on away making it impossible to continue on this path .

Looking along the Gill (you can just about make out a group of walkers heading back, it was them that gave us the news about the path)

A few more shots before we turned back and rejoined the Pennine way and headed back up again.

Now back on the Pennine way

Looking across, the views are getting better as the cloud lifts and the sun is even trying to get out.

My better half striding off

A quick look over the side

My better half fearlessly leading the way , unfortunately just in front of her there is a beck (could be Strands Beck) with all the rain it is flowing to fast for me to get across , it is only about 8 to 12” deep but all the stepping stones are covered with a wet slippy mud , so at this point I had to swallow my pride and call it a day , the last thing I wanted to do is get my arty limb and foot covered in water again plus it is an very big drop down the side of the cliff at this point .

On the way back now (a bit disappointed) we decided to take yet another path (old Pennine way?) looking down to the bottom of the gill

Looking back you can just about make out where the path has been washed away by the rains

Looking over the top

My better half leading the way again

A few shots as we head back, like I said before they don’t do justice to this place.

Yvonne striding back

A couple of fell ponies

Entering the old Quarry on Peeping Hill

Last look across at Middle tongue

Nearly at Bow Hall looking back, this morning you couldn’t see a thing

Just about to enter Dufton, very last look back.

It goes without saying that I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t do the walk that I planned , but it will be there come spring , and now as I have a good idea of what the terrain is like I am certain that I be able to manage it .

It certainly is a very impressive place.

UPDATE :- With the help of a good mate Dave (aka AJ) I finally managed to compleat this walk please see HIGH CUP NICK for details .